Planning my road trip to Yellowstone National Park, the very first national park in the USA and one of the most visited national parks in the USA, for Memorial Day long weekend in May was daunting.

Yellowstone is HUGE and there are several entrances, and it’s expensive to visit in the summer. High season is June through August so it’s best to plan your trip in advance. Use this guide as the beginning planning stage for your Yellowstone trip. I’ll publish suggested itineraries soon. Check out my 5 BIG reasons to visit Yellowstone National Park!

Luckily, I enjoy traveling with no definite itinerary. Although I made a list of attractions and places I would like to see in Yellowstone, I didn’t have a set itinerary for the 4 days I would be visiting. I knew I wanted to see Grand Prismatic Spring, geysers, waterfalls, and wildlife but I did not prepare a day to day itinerary.

Grand Prismatic Spring is a sensational sight at Yellowstone National Park

For the people that like to plan ahead and have an itinerary in place, this post should help you work out some of the details for your Yellowstone adventure.

This post serves as a starting point to plan a trip to the park. I will write more about my solo trip to Yellowstone and what to expect visiting the first USA national park in the next couple of weeks.

Where is Yellowstone National Park?

Yellowstone is located primarily in northwestern Wyoming. There is a small portion of the park in southern Montana as well as eastern Idaho.

Did you know that Yellowstone was the very first National Park in the United States?
Established in 1872 by the US Congress and officially signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872.

What towns and cities are close to Yellowstone?

Towns within 10 miles

West Yellowstone, Montana

East Yellowstone, Wyoming

Gardiner, Montana (northern Yellowstone)

Cook City / Silver Gate, Montana (Northeastern Yellowstone)

Map of Yellowstone National Park by Google

Towns within 50 miles

NORTH of Yellowstone

Big Sky, Montana

Livingston, Montana

Gardiner, Montana

Red Lodge, Montana

SOUTH of Yellowstone

Dubois, Wyoming

Jackson, also referred to as Jackson Hole, Wyoming

EAST of Yellowstone

Wapiti, Wyoming

Cody, Wyoming

WEST of Yellowstone

Island Park, Idaho

Antler arch at the town square in Jackson Hole Wyoming

What is the closest airport to Yellowstone?

Jackson Hole is the closest airport and the airport code is JAC.

How big is Yellowstone National Park?

Almost 3,500 square miles.

Upper Falls at Yellowstone National Park

Where is the entrance to Yellowstone National Park?

There are 5 entrances to Yellowstone.

North entrance is near Gardiner Montana (the only entrance open year-round at Yellowstone)

Northeast entrance is near Silver Gate Montana

East entrance is 53 miles from Cody Wyoming

West entrance is accessed through the town of West Yellowstone Montana

South entrance is located in Wyoming, just north of Grand Teton National Park, 64 miles north of Jackson Hole Wyoming

Will I see wildlife at Yellowstone National Park?

Wildlife watching is one of the key attractions at Yellowstone. Yes, you are likely to see wildlife while visiting the park.

Wild animals are unpredictable and can be dangerous. Always keep a safe distance from wildlife in the park. Use your binoculars or a telephoto lens on your camera to view wildlife from a safe distance and to avoid disturbing the wildlife. Stay at least 100 yards (91 meters) from bears or wolves, and 25 yards (23 meters) from other wildlife while in the park.

Bison grazing at Yellowstone National Park

What type of wildlife could I see at Yellowstone National Park?

67 kinds of mammals and 285 species of birds, including

Bison

Bighorn Sheep

Black Bears

Grizzly Bears

Badgers

Mule Deer

White-tail Deer

Elk

Moose

Mountain Goats

Fox

Lynx

Bobcat

Cougar

Coyote

Otters

Marmot

Marten

Weasel

Wolf

Wolverine

Owls

Ducks

Geese

Bald Eagle

Golden Eagle

Peregrine Falcon

Osprey

Trumpeter Swan

Yellow bellied marmot at Yellowstone National Park

You may have heard about a plan to allow hunting of grizzly bears in 2018. Just days before the hunting season is to begin, a federal judge has halted the grizzly bear hunt for 14 days, as of August 31, 2018. Yellowstone National Park grizzly population is approximately 690. In 1975 the US Fish and Wildlife Service listed the grizzly bear in the lower 48 states as threatened with extinction. At that time the grizzly population at Yellowstone was 136. In 2017 the US Fish and Wildlife Service removed grizzlies around Yellowstone from the protected list.

Do I need to bring bear spray?

It’s your choice but when you are in bear country it is best to be prepared for a bear encounter. That includes having bear spray and knowing how to use it properly.

A Yellowstone grizzly bear attacked a 10 year old boy hiking with his family on Thursday August 23, 2018. The boy survived the attack and National Park Superintendent Pat Kenney stated “This incident could have been more serious. We applaud the family for travelling in a group, carrying bear spray, and knowing how to effectively use it”.

How many days to spend in Yellowstone National Park?

Depends how many bison traffic jams you experience. Seriously, there are traffic jams due to the free-roaming bison herd on the roadways.

To see the most popular attractions at Yellowstone, you need about 3 days in the park. Long weekends are very popular times for visiting Yellowstone so expect lots of traffic.

For my trip I arrived on Saturday afternoon and left on the following Wednesday so 3 full days plus an afternoon/evening. You can do Yellowstone in 3 or 4 days without feeling rushed.

Keep in mind that weather and crowds/traffic could hamper your plans, so try to plan an extra day or two to accommodate conditions that are beyond anyone’s control.

Also consider the location where you are staying and how much time you will spend driving to and from the park. For instance, I stayed at the Mountain Modern Motel in Jackson which is 64 miles from the south Yellowstone entrance.

Driving time depends on other traffic, bison or other wildlife on the roadway, weather conditions, and how many times you stop to snap pictures along the way. Plan accordingly.

Gibbon Falls at Yellowstone National Park

How much do campsites cost?

Campsite fees range from $15 to $30 (except for Fishing Bridge RV park – see below) and there are over 2,000 campsites at Yellowstone.

Reservations are allowed at 5 of the 12 campgrounds in Yellowstone, while all others are filled on a first-come first-served basis.

There are also backcountry campsites for a fee of $3 per person per night but it maxes out at $15/night so groups of more than 5 still only pay $15 per night. Fees apply to persons age 9 or older. Fees are only charged between Memorial Day and September 10th. If your trip begins before Memorial Day or after September 10th there is no fee charged. If you plan to do a lot of backcountry camping at Yellowstone buy the annual pass for $25.

(All other campsite details see link in previous question on campsite prices)

Artist Point Overlook at Yellowstone National Park is beautiful

Are there hotels in Yellowstone National Park?

There are 9 hotels in the park. In winter only 2 are open, but spring through fall all 9 lodges are open in Yellowstone.

Winter Lodges in Yellowstone

Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Cabins – open December 16, 2018 through March 3, 2019

Mammoth Hot Springs and Cabins – open until October 14, 2018 then closed for renovations through winter 2019

Is there food available in Yellowstone?

No worries, you will not starve at Yellowstone even if you did not pack a picnic lunch. There are several restaurants, stores, and visitor centers with food available for purchase in Yellowstone.

What is the weather like at Yellowstone National Park?

Weather is unpredictable, especially near the Rocky Mountains. During high season and summer months, the weather at Yellowstone is usually pleasant but be prepared for a variety of weather. In late fall, winter, and early spring the weather will be more erratic.

What are the best hiking trails at Yellowstone National Park?

It depends what you are looking for and and how much time your have. Here’s a list of hikes to get you started.

Is there a volcano at Yellowstone National Park?

Yes, Yellowstone is a dormant super-volcano, and it could erupt again. Scientists believe the last eruption was approximately 640,000 years ago. When will the next super-volcano eruption occur? Could be sooner than you think!

2 Comments

Wow. This was a really comprehensive post. Yellowstone has been on my radar for years ever since visiting Moab so I was really interested in knowing more. I was quite impressed with all the information you had. Great work!

Thank you Janice! There is so much to do and see at Yellowstone and since it”s such a big park it can be overwhelming planning a trip there. That’s when I decided to put some of the most FAQ together for this post. I hope you make the trip to Yellowstone, it truly is an amazing place, you will love it, almost as much as you love France :)

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